EFSA Press Release, 10 April 2003

EFSA - Wanted - EFSA Number 2

The European Food Safety Authority published an EU-wide call today to identify and recruit its second in command. The position holder will have the title of Deputy Executive Director - Head of Science and will be placed right at the centre of the EU food safety scientific world. He/she will be responsible for supporting the Executive Director, Geoffrey Podger, in building the scientific reputation of the Authority and for the quality and timeliness of its technical output.

'This is yet another important step in getting the Authority operational,' said Mr Podger. 'Although there are a number of important elements in running EFSA, the scientific risk assessment task is fundamental to its success. Having a senior level
expert manager dedicated to this work will make a significant difference.'

• The Head of Science will establish and manage the EFSA scientific programme, and will have the following broad responsibilities:
  day to day responsibility for the scientific work.
  building the scientific reputation of the Authority through the fostering of a culture of scientific excellence, integrity, independence and overall transparency;
  contributing to the establishment of the Authority as one of the most important points of reference in the world on scientific matters relating to the safety of the food chain;

In addition, the incumbent will act as the deputy to the Executive Director, providing advice and support on the overall management of the Authority, and will take over in his absence. He/she will need to be prepared to work under conditions requiring considerable flexibility during the initial scientific set up period. The contract will be for five years, and will be renewable. The position will be published in the Official Journal of the European Communities on 10th April under the reference EFSA/A/2003/001, and also on the Authority's Website.